COMMUNITY COLLEGE RESEARCH CENTER | TEACHERS COLLEGE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
CCRC Research Report #1:
March 2021 – Caring Campus: An Initiative to Involve Community College Staff in Increasing Student Success
In this brief, CCRC introduces research they are conducting on the IEBC staff-focused Caring Campus initiative. First, they discuss the importance of nonacademic staff to the postsecondary student experience. They then present a theory of change for the Caring Campus approach in working with staff. Next, drawing on observations and interviews, the researchers describe the model and present two initial sets of findings about the initiative, which are related to the potential for Caring Campus to positively affect college culture and change efforts.
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CCRC Research Report #2:
June 2022 – Implementing Caring Campus With Nonacademic Staff: Lessons From Participating Colleges
In this second CCRC research report on the IEBC staff-focused Caring Campus initiative, CCRC reports positive findings. Its study, Implementing Caring Campus With Nonacademic Staff: Lessons From Participating Colleges, presents the implementation and impact of Caring Campus based on fieldwork at six colleges and other data. The notes that, in particular, students from historically underrepresented groups in higher education—including Black, Latinx, Native American, and first-generation students—benefit from positive interactions with college personnel that affirm their connectedness, importance, and belonging.
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CCRC Research Report #3:
January 2023 – Caring Campus: Faculty Leadership in Student Success
In this third CCRC research report on the IEBC staff-focused Caring Campus initiative, CCRC reports positive findings in its new study examining the implementation and impact of the Institute for Evidence-Based Change’s Caring Campus – Faculty. The findings reveal that Caring Campus/Faculty offers significant support to students, particularly those facing barriers like students of color, first-generation, and low-income students. It serves as a vital avenue for faculty to lead student success initiatives and enhances their teaching and support capabilities. Additionally, Caring Campus/Faculty contributes to creating a positive college climate, particularly beneficial during the pandemic.
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CCRC Research Report #4:
May 2023 – Implementing Caring Campus: Strategies College Presidents Use to Improve Culture and Support Reform
In this fourth report from the Community College Research Center (CCRC) on the impact of Caring campus, CCRC presents their findings on building a more positive college culture. The report unpacks each of these strategies and cites specific examples of their implementation at the nine community colleges. Select reflections from the college presidents are also featured. The report illuminates the role of college presidents in supporting culture-focused reform and offers guidance for leaders at other colleges as they consider how best to initiate and nurture Caring Campus and other culture-focused reforms.